A few years ago, my mom was doing some spring cleaning and preparing several bags of goods for donation. I saw some seldom-used flowered sheets and decided to pull a Maria Von Trappe and turn them into pajamas.

I have to admit, I was pretty daunted - I'd never done anything like making my own elastic casings or even making a buttonhole! I learned a lot with this project, and I can't wait to apply my new skills again. Here are the results - not too bad, if I say so myself!

I do, actually, have two arms! The other one is out of sight of the mirror I used to take this.

A couple of notes on some adjustments I made: I thought having the ties in the front of the legs was a bit too baby-doll for my taste, so I moved them to the sides of each leg.

Also, every pattern review says these bloomers are extremely low in the waist and super short - and they were all right! Next time, I'll cut the pattern an inch higher in the waist and 1.5 in longer. For Step 3 on the Leg Openings page of the pattern, you're supposed to fold the 1.5 in of the leg opening hem over and then create two rows of stitching for a casing.

I felt if I had folded the hem over, these would have been unwearably short, so I cut out two strips of fabric and used that to create the casing on the bottom inside of each leg.

I love that I was able to give new life to these old sheets - have you ever upcycled used textiles into something new?

September 18, 2012

Today is a tough day. The toughest. Today marks two years since my sweet baby brother passed away at the age of 12 after a short but incredibly grueling battle with leukemia.

Jonathan is the reason why A Dose of the Delightful exists. And while this blog doesn't often spend time on serious issues, it means so much more to me than just fun crafts and pretty pictures.

Though he was half my age, Jonathan taught me more than I ever taught him, just by virtue of being himself. He was always the type of child who thought of others before himself. I remember that on his 8th birthday, just a month after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and other parts of the Gulf Coast, he told my parents that he didn’t want presents for his birthday party. Instead, he asked that his friends and family donate money to aid victims of the disaster. And during his illness, he commented that although having leukemia was no picnic, many others were dealing with worse problems than his. He remarked that one day he might want to be a doctor or nurse, so he could help kids who were going through what he was.

The one time Jonathan expressed dismay at the situation, he commented to my mother, “I wish this had never happened.” That is a wish that I, and the rest of my familiy, will never be able to let go of. It is a terrible feeling to wish with all your heart that something had never happened. I am reminded of a conversation in The Fellowship of the Ring, which Jonathan, my brother Paul and I watched each year together:

Frodo confides in Gandalf: “I wish the ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened."

Gandalf replies: “So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us."

That is the message my brother Jonathan has left with me, and that I will carry throughout my life. In his short time here, Jonathan spent every moment he had pursuing what interested him, excited him, and made him a wonderful person. He was never found sitting in front of the TV unless he was ‘traveling’ to another country while watching Globetrekker or the Travel Channel. The sounds of his clarinet and piano were familiar music around our house. During the summer, he was found perfecting his pencil dive in our backyard pool. Jonathan was intentional about doing what he loved, and he has helped me to embrace the time I’m given in the same way he did.

During Jonathan's illness, I turned to things I had been passionate about as a child and in high school, but had let go of in college and never picked up since. I would often sit next to his hospital bed, working on something special I wanted to give him for his 13th birthday - a set of pillowcases embroidered with the musical instruments he played: clarinet and piano. My method of embroidery is to draw what I'd like to embroider on tracing paper, then pin it or use sticky spray to adhere it to the embroidery surface. I'd already finished the clarinet part of one pillowcase, but wanted to add musical notes from Jonathan's favorite song to play. One day, as I sat next to Jonny and drew a succession of musical notes, I stopped to show him the pillowcase I'd be adding the notes to. He admired the green outlines of a clarinet I'd created, exclaiming, "Wow - you're really good at that!" He shared how difficult he'd thought it was when, for a class project, they'd all had to cross stitch a pillow. His sweet compliment really made me stop and think to myself "I do enjoy this, and I'm not half bad at it. Why don't I do it more?"

I started thinking about all of the things I used to do that I'd just dropped because life was too busy. I realized that the fact of the matter is, you have to make time to do the things you love until the day you're lucky enough to do those things for a living. What was I going to get more satisfaction out of - coming home from work and vegging on the couch? Or coming home and working on a project I wanted to do? The answer was obvious.

I had simply forgotten/pushed aside how things like drawing, embroidery, sewing, and DIY projects really made my heart sing. The incredible way I feel when doing these things, and admiring my own handiwork after, is absolute confirmation that these pursuits are a big part of what makes me me.

I started this blog purely for me, as a way to document my evening and weekend creative pursuits. The fact that people actually want to read it is an unexpected, but incredibly appreciated cherry on top. And the warm fuzzy feeling I get when someone tells me I've helped them in some way, caused them to think, encouraged them to try a craft - well, that's truly unparalleled. Who knows - there may be a time when I get to spend my days doing this stuff all day long!

Now and always, I'm thankful to my brother for showing me that life's not much unless you actively pursue what you love. If you don't know what that is yet, make a real effort to find out. It's only by being the best version of ourselves - the truest version, not what we think we should be - that we find genuine happiness and success. I'm not quite there yet, but every day I feel closer and closer to it.

September 13, 2012

Last night my friend Sera and I got together and had a super fun sewing night! We ate fantastic pizza and salad from Via Tribunali, had a little red wine, and made ourselves some very cute waterproof drawstring bags!

This project truly is easy for beginning machine sewers or those just returning to the hobby after a long time (me and Sera!). I found it on the blog of one of my all-time favorite stores, Purl Soho. If you live in Manhattan and are itching to try any sort of needlecraft, from knitting to sewing to embroidery, stop by their store to peruse their beautiful selection. They even have some classes!

Our unique twist on this bag was making the interior waterproof. I had no idea where I could find vinyl by the yard, and not much time to look around the city, so I hunted around online for ideas. One forum discussed exactly this topic - and the ingenious suggestion was cutting up a shower curtain! This is exactly what Sera and I did.

September 5, 2012

In anticipation of the launch of their collection The Curiosity Shoppe at Target, the store's founders Lauren Smith & Derek Fagerstrom created this fun craft!

It's a great project for National Sewing Month, especially for those just getting their feet wet. I love the idea of using products like tea towels, napkins, and pillowcases as fabric for small projects - in fact, I always make sure to check out both of those things at Target when I'm there. While home in Jacksonville for Labor Day weekend, I scored 4 lattice print napkins that will become pillows for about $5!

Here's what you need & the how to:

Tea towel from the Curiosity Shoppe at Target (or other fabric scrap of similar size)

1.5 yards of cotton webbing

Scissors

Pins

Thread

Sewing machine (although you could also sew by hand!)

Steps:

1. Fold tea towel in half, right sides together (non-printed side facing out)

2. Using a half-inch seam allowance (this means the width of the seam should measure 1/2 inch), stitch up the sides of the towel, back-stitching at the beginning and end of each seam. Turn bag right side out.

3. Cut the webbing in half. Each half will be a strap for the bag.

4. Pin the ends of each strap 1" down from the top of the bag and 3" in from the sides, making sure they're not twisted.

5. Attach the ends of each strap by stitching a square around the edges of the 1” tail of webbing, removing the pins as you go.

March 7, 2012

There's something indescribable about the way that hand sewing satisfies. It's quiet; it's methodic; it can be creative; it's imperfect and leaves the imprint of craftsmanship of a real, live human being.

That's why I'm so excited to announce that Kaufmann Mercantile is generously giving away this sewing kit full of Merchant & Mills goodies (worth $75) to a lucky reader. This beautifully-designed kit contains all the tools needed to start sewing your own projects by hand or to put the finishing touches on larger projects created using a machine.

If you haven't checked out Kaufmann Mercantile yet, you should do so immediately! The online shop features a very carefully curated selection of high quality, everyday items that are designed to last - not to be disposed of.

Scroll down for details on how to enter the giveaway!

HOW TO WIN:

You must: Choose two of the below (one action for Kaufmann Mercantile and one action for A Dose of the Delightful), then comment on what you did

Get one extra entry for each additional action (yay)! I'll choose a winner via random.org next Friday, March 16th.